


Fictober18 #14 - “Some people call this wisdom.”

by hope-for-olicity (Jacq)



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU with canon elements, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, fictober18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 23:59:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16294457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacq/pseuds/hope-for-olicity
Summary: This a little bit of an AU with small bits of canon thrown in! They are older, Felicity is 40 and has decided to give up dating - Oliver is her good friend and sort of boss.





	Fictober18 #14 - “Some people call this wisdom.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is today’s entry for fictober. I’m going to try to post a short story every day during October based on a quote provided by the organizer of Fictober18. All stories will be from Arrow based on the Olicity Fandom.

 

Felicity was done. She tried. She’d really tried over the years but after the last online date where the guy clearly had no interest in her once he learned, she wasn’t outdoorsy, she was done. She was done feeling bad about herself because she didn’t meet some stranger’s standard. She was tired of not being good enough.

 

Outside of her dating life, Felicity knew she was good enough. She was smart, some people thought she was funny and while not a supermodel, she wasn’t bad looking. She watched all her friends fall in love, get married, be happy, then pressure her to find the same. She knew they meant the best, but she was done. 

 

The worst part was it was not just their pressure that led to Felicity going on countless first dates. It was her own. Felicity was a doer. If she wanted something she did what it took to get it. In this case, dating to get a boyfriend. 

 

As she sat eating her chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with tears in her eyes, Felicity knew this was why it hurt the most - she couldn’t do this. Everyone else she knew could, people she’d never met could but her - whatever it was that made men like women she simply did not have it.

 

Felicity thought she had it once - a guy who liked her! Cooper even liked her coding, he appreciated her intelligence. But then he stole her work, pretending it was his own. It had all been a lie. She’d felt like such a fool.  

 

She stopped dating for a while, focusing on her career instead. This is where her mother and grandmother think Felicity went wrong - she knows this because they have told her often. Boys don’t like girls who know too much. Her grandmother often reminded her that she didn’t need to tell the men she dated that she’d gone to grad school.

 

After years of trying, Felicity was forty, she was done. She had a good life, great job, good friends, a nice place to live with plenty of books and TV shows - really what more could a girl want? She really did have a lot to be grateful, which was why she was going to focus on those things and give up on finding someone. It was a good decision.

 

*****

 

The next morning she met her friends Caitlin and Iris for brunch. They used to have brunch every Saturday but then their lives got busy, now it was more of a once a month thing. She was so happy to see them, she was the first to arrive.

 

Felicity sipped coffee, thought about the pancakes she would soon consume in the busy diner. A short while later, Iris and Caitlin rushed into the downtown diner apologizing, They explained that the train from uptown - where they now lived with their families, was delayed. 

 

“No worries! I’m just really happy to see you guys! Now time for pancakes!” Felicity smiled.

“None for me, I’m low carb now.” Iris made a squishy face.

 

“Well, I’m not, so I’ll eat your share.” Caitlin joked. “Carbs make me happy, they are a must.”

 

Felicity laughed. She missed them so much. Between their jobs and young children there just wasn’t enough time. Felicity chose to treasure every moment.

 

They placed their orders with the server before Iris turned to Felicity, “so, how did your date go? Will there be another?”

 

Felicity prepared herself for this. She felt good about her decision. “No there won’t be another. I’ve decided I’m done. I have a good life. I am happy. I am done going out with strangers in hopes that he might be the one. Maybe there is no ‘one’ for me. That’s okay too. I am a strong independent woman. Lucky for me in 2018 I don’t have to marry. Stepping down from my soapbox now.” Felicity looked at her friend’s shocked face, she waited for their response.

 

Caitlin spoke softly. “Are you sure this is the right decision? Keep in mind, I just want you to be happy. If this decision makes you happy, I support you.”

 

Iris looked confused. “I’m sure you have given this a lot of thought but you don’t want to miss an opportunity. Maybe you just need to try new things. I’m trying to understand why you are so confident this is the right answer.”

 

“Some people call this wisdom. Personally, I call experience. I’ve tried. You know I have. But I am responsible for my own happiness and constantly trying to attain something and failing is not helping. So I’m done. I’m focusing on my future alone. I’m no longer thinking what I’ll do once I have some imaginary man. I’m living and planning for MY future.” Felicity’s friends gave her looks that could only be seen as pity. “Look, I know you both mean well. I get that you want what’s best for me. This is what is best for me. There is more than one way to be happy.”

 

“What about Oliver?” Caitlin said softly.

 

“Oliver is my boss. He never saw me that way, besides he’s practically engaged to Laurel Lance.” Felicity tried to dismiss the comment like it was nothing but these were her best friends.

 

“Honey,” Iris got up, she crossed the table to give Felicity a hug. “We know you love him. I also think there is a reason he’s practically engaged instead of engaged. He cares about you too. More than a boss. He visited you in the hospital, he makes sure you get home safely, he checks out your dates!”

 

“This is not boss behaviour.” Caitlin followed up. “There is more there.”

 

“Yes, Oliver’s my friend okay. He’s a nice guy. Nice guys do this kind of thing. I told you, I moved on from that last year. I’m not going to spend my life pining for a man who loves someone else. I’m worth more than that.” The server arrived. “Look pancakes!”

 

*****

 

The next morning Felicity was thinking about what her friends said. She knew she was making the right decision for her. What she really needed to do was discuss this another single person, they would truly understand her. Her friends had been married too long to remember what it was like to be out there. 

 

She tried to think of someone she knew that was single. Yes, the majority of Felicity’s friends were happily married, in fact, she knew some that were getting married for a second time. She was sitting in Starbucks on her coffee break thinking when Oliver pulled out the chair across from her.

 

“Oh no, the date did not go well. You are pondering.” He teased.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here? Getting your own coffee? I thought you had people for that.” It was a running joke with them because Felicity was his Executive Assistant before she was promoted to the head of Applied Sciences but refused to get him coffee.

 

“Haha. You know I get my own coffee. Seriously, though what’s up? You look like you have a lot going on up here.” He poked her jokingly in the forehead. Truthfully, she looked sad. Oliver really didn’t like seeing her sad. To be honest, it made him sad.

 

Felicity decided to be honest. “I was just trying to think of a single person I could talk to.”

 

“Hit me. I’m single.” Oliver beamed happily he could help.

 

“No offence, but you’re not. Laurel remember?” Felicity always teased him about his relationship with Laurel. It was their thing. Especially since he tended to forget her. It made Felicity sad, that Oliver was so good to her but Laurel….she wondered why she put up with it. She frequently warned Oliver that one day he would lose her and rightly so.

 

“Nope.” Oliver shook his head. He had been trying to figure out how to tell Felicity he and Laurel were through. He knew she’d ask why he hadn’t been ready to tell Felicity, the why was her. 

 

“Nope? Oh, you are on another break. I need someone who is really single, Oliver. You will be back with Laurel next week. No offence.” Felicity took a sip of her coffee.

 

“Felicity, we are over. It ended almost a month ago. I ended this time for good. I told her her I was in love with someone else.” Oliver watched Felicity closely as he spoke, her eyes widened and she began to choke on her coffee. “Oh my God, Felicity are you okay?” Oliver jumped up to rub her back.

 

“I’m fine.” Felicity hoped she was pulling that line off believably. “Other than the coffee choking of course. That shit burned! Seriously, Oliver, you need to warn me before announcing major life changes!”

 

Oliver chuckled. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure how to tell you so I just kind of blurted it out.”

 

“Oliver, you are one of my best friends,” Felicity touched his hand then quickly pulled away, realizing that probably wasn’t appropriate behaviour. “I’m sorry, you didn’t feel comfortable telling me. You know I support whatever makes you happy. And you know,” she looked at him with glee in her eye, “I never thought Laurel was the woman for you.”

 

“I know. You aren’t a very good liar, Felicity.” Oliver smiled.

 

“So, are you going to tell me who?” Felicity tried to keep the hope in her voice knowing that her heart was about to crack again. As much as she tried to push it away, she would always love this man. She wanted him to be happy, even if that was not with her.

 

“Well, that’s where it gets tricky.” Oliver never thought he would tell Felicity he loved her in Starbucks. But he knew he had to tell her. He was suddenly bursting to tell her but at the same time so afraid he would lose her.

 

“Tricky?” Felicity began pondering who she was. “Does she work at Queen Consolidated? It’s not Anne, is it? I thought she was married.” Anne was Oliver’s executive assistant, she had gotten married last summer.

 

“Anne is married. No, it’s not her.” Oliver confirmed quickly.

 

“Not Anne, well are you going to tell me? Oliver, you know you can tell me anything. I’ll support you.” She could tell he was scared. It was really starting to worry her. “I promise.”

 

“Felicity, it’s you. I love you. I’ve loved you from the first moment I met you. But I always knew you were too good for me but I can’t help it - I want to be with you anyway. When I told Laurel, she told me that she’d always known. She implied everyone knew about my feelings for you but I don’t think you did, did you?” Oliver could not make out what Felicity was thinking. She remained silent, looking down at the table as though gathering her thoughts. Oh shit, he’d done it. He’d lost her. Why did he have to open his big mouth? Felicity Smoak didn’t need him. He was sort of her boss and he’d put her in an uncomfortable situation. Why didn’t he think of that before now? 

 

Felicity looked down at the table. Had Oliver just said it was her? Did he love her? Had she imagined he said that because she’d always dreamed he would. She needed to look at him to get confirmation. She just couldn’t believe it. Slowly she raised her head to meet his eyes. She saw the fear but also the love. Oliver loved her. The tears began to stream down her cheeks.

 

“Oh no! That was not my intent! Felicity, please don’t cry. How can I fix this? Do you want me to leave the company? I can leave the company. I promise I won’t pressure you in any way. I’m so sorry. You didn’t ask for any of this.” Oliver really didn’t know what to do but he’d do ANYTHING!

 

“OLIVER!” Felicity grabbed his hand. “These are happy tears. I love you too. I’ve loved since the moment we met but I never dreamed you would see me this way. Are you sure? I mean, I’m a little worried I’m hallucinating or something.” She squeezed his hand tight, almost in confirmation that he was there.

 

“This is not a hallucination.” Oliver got up, rounded the table. He leaned down to take her mouth but waited for just a beat to confirm he had consent. When she leaned in, he was done for. He kissed her as he’d dreamed of kissing her for years. He poured years of waiting into that one kiss, Felicity met him all the way. When they pulled apart it was to clapping from their unexpected Starbucks audience. 

 

Felicity blushed but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

 

Oliver returned to his seat. “So, just to go back. You wanted to talk to a single person, I am a single person. Can you talk to me? What did you want to talk about?”

 

Felicity blushed. “I wanted to talk about my decision to stop dating. I’m happy on my own. Going out with these strangers is taking away from that happiness. So no more dates. What do you think?” She smiled letting him know he was excluded from this theory.

 

Oliver stood up. He took Felicity’s hand, he led her to the door of the coffee shop. “I think,” he pushed open the door, pulling her through, “this is a great idea. I don’t want you to date anyone else, ever - except me.”

 

Felicity smiled knowing she truly won. She knew being with Oliver added to her happy. Dating him was not like dating the strangers. She was glad that sticking to her decision to do what made her happy. 

 

They were holding hands, almost back to the office when Oliver stopped. “But Felicity, just so you know I don’t want to date you for very long. I intend to marry you as soon as I can get you to agree. Just putting all my cards on the table.”

 

Felicity pushed up on her tiptoes, kissed Oliver on the cheek and whispered. “I love the way you think.”


End file.
